Stellar Wind, Songbird drill for Beholder Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. – Regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s Grade 3 Adoration Stakes at Santa Anita, two champions are lurking behind the scenes for the next race in California’s older female division, the Grade 1 Beholder Mile on June 3.

Songbird, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2015 and champion 3-year-old filly of 2016, worked five furlongs Thursday from the gate in 1:03.80. The $400,000 Beholder Mile is scheduled to be her first start since a second to the champion Beholder in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff last November.

The Beholder Mile was previously known as the Vanity Mile. In 2016, Beholder and Stellar Wind were first and second in the Vanity Mile. Stellar Wind, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2015, worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds Friday for the Beholder Mile.

“She looked super,” trainer John Sadler said. “It looked like she was galloping.”

Sadler said he timed Stellar Wind in 48.20 seconds. The workout was Stellar Wind’s first major exercise since winning her 2017 debut in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park on April 14. Stellar Wind was fourth in the BC Distaff last November.

“Her second race off a layoff is usually a good race,” Sadler said. “She has three more works before the Beholder. She’s trained well and came back well. The question I had was whether to give her five works or four works. I gave her an extra week. I think she’s ahead of the calendar now.”

The Adoration field is led by Vale Dori, who won the Grade 1 Santa Margarita in March and three other graded stakes from December to mid-February. Vale Dori is a candidate for the Beholder Mile along with Finest City, who was second in the Santa Margarita and was entered for Saturday’s Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs.

Gorgeous Ginny gets short break

Gorgeous Ginny became 2017’s first juvenile winner in Southern California with a victory in a maiden race for California-bred fillies at Santa Anita on Thursday.

Because of a lack of stakes for 2-year-olds in late spring, Gorgeous Ginny’s career will not resume until July. The gap in races is not an issue for trainer Robertino Diodoro.

The Santa Anita springsummer meeting has two $100,000 stakes for 2-year-olds at 5 1/2 furlongs on July 2: the Landaluce for fillies and the Santa Anita Juvenile, which is essentially for males. Gorgeous Ginny could run in the Landaluce or the $100,000 CTBA Stakes for California-bred fillies at 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 2.

“We’ll take our time with her,” Diodoro said.

Gorgeous Ginny ($4.20) led throughout Thursday’s race at 4 1/2 furlongs, winning by 5 1/4 lengths over Ismelucky in 52 seconds.

“We expected that performance,” Diodoro said. “She’s bred to run long and built to run long. She should run on the grass.”

Gorgeous Ginny is the first winner for Take Charge Indy, who stood in Kentucky through the 2016 breeding season and now stands in Korea. Gorgeous Ginny is out of Brooke’s Halo, who won the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks in 2005.

Gorgeous Ginny is owned by Randy Howg. Diodoro said the filly was purchased for $70,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale in 2016 minutes after officially being listed as a buyback for the same price.

Arroyo may drop appeals

Jockey Norberto Arroyo has been suspended five racing days later this month for causing interference in a race at Santa Anita on April 30 and may drop appeals of seven other suspension days from March, according to his brother and agent, Nelson Arroyo.

Norberto Arroyo has been suspended May 14 and May 18-21 for causing interference aboard Buckys Pick in the ninth race on April 30, a one-mile maiden race on turf. Buckys Pick finished third and was disqualified and placed sixth.

Arroyo was given two suspensions in March – for three days and four days – but appealed the decisions. Nelson Arroyo said his brother is contemplating dropping the appeals and requesting to serve the days in the coming weeks.

Through Thursday, Arroyo, 40, was seventh in the standings at the spring-summer meeting with five wins. He was the leading rider at the Del Mar autumn meeting last year.

“We want to try to win the Del Mar meet again,” Nelson Arroyo said of the track’s summer meeting.

The Del Mar summer meeting runs July 19 to Sept. 4.

Single-ticket jackpot pays $439,362

The single-ticket jackpot pool of the pick six was hit for $439,362 at Santa Anita on Thursday from a $5,300 ticket.

The single-ticket pool had not been hit since April 6, leading to a carryover of $349,792 into Thursday’s card. Bettors added $138,071 on Thursday.

The winning ticket was purchased through a Maryland-based hub, according to track officials.